


Reality broke while you were away

by the_empty_man



Category: Wolf 359 (Radio)
Genre: Gen, because I have too many feelings and I can't deal, in response to the end of episode 54, just a little rambling second person thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-31 15:12:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12135189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_empty_man/pseuds/the_empty_man
Summary: Waiting for you beyond the airlock is the only human in the universe you trust completely. The reunion doesn't go how you expected.





	Reality broke while you were away

When they said they were sending you back to _your people_ , sending you _home_ , you thought they meant Earth. But then you hear the Commander’s voice. You see the Hephaestus coming to fetch you. And you realise almost all of ' _your people'_ are on that ship. Maybe Minkowski and Hera and Lovelace are the closest thing you know to ‘home’ anyway.

 

You need to get back to them, to tell them what you’ve seen and heard. Your mind is buzzing with things you don’t understand. But soon you’ll see the smartest people you know again. Maybe they’ll be able to make sense of it.

 

You can’t wait to laugh with them about how absurd it all is, that you’re the first human ever to speak with these aliens. Somehow Douglas Eiffel, certified screw-up, became ambassador of mankind. Minkowski will _love_ that.

 

Apparently, all the Dear Listeners really wanted was to understand music. “You can get them to star in Pirates of Penzance next time,” you’ll tell Minkowski when you see her. She’ll groan and ask why you can’t take things more seriously. “Because I have you for that,” you’ll tell her.

 

Finally, the Hephaestus reaches you. You get through the airlock. And there’s the Commander, once again waiting for you after you’ve nearly died out in space. You’ve done this before. You know how this part goes. You know that survival feels like her arms around you.

 

“C’mere, give us a hug!” She doesn’t move. You hug her, but she’s too stiff. Her arms stay by her sides. She doesn’t hug you back, and that makes you feel like your tether just broke mid-spacewalk. Something’s wrong. Something’s happened while you were gone. You can’t believe you’ve been too self-absorbed to ask. “What happened here while I was out there? What caused that power outage? Is everyone okay?” Her face doesn’t change. She tells you everything is fine, but your guts are twisted into knots. She’s too calm. She’s keeping something from you.

 

“Eif– fel.” Hera’s voice normally makes you feel safe. But not when it sounds so pained and forced, like she’s struggling to get the words out. Panic rises in your chest. If something’s happened to Hera again, if someone’s hurt her…

 

“Run. Get… out!” You don’t understand. Run from what?

 

You never even see Minkowski’s punch coming. You’re not on your guard ( _why would you be with her?_ ) but you wouldn’t stand a chance against her anyway. For all the times she’s threatened you with violence, you’ve never felt for yourself how powerful those fists are.

 

You shouldn’t find anything unbelievable anymore. You’ve just been talking to an immortal mind-reading alien who has your face. But this feels more impossible than any of that. You look up at her and there’s no emotion in her eyes. She regards you like you are nothing to her.

 

There’s blood in your mouth. It tastes of bar fights and coughing fits. She hits you again and the air fills with red droplets.

 

“Everything is going to be alright,” she says, but nothing is. She’s holding you, but not the way you expected, her grip on your arm like handcuffs. She’s smiling a dangerous smile that’s far too familiar. This doesn’t make sense. Even Canon in D can’t distract you now. Something is breaking inside of you.

 

The hatch opens and there he is. The man with the poisonous smile, the business-suited monster with the treacle-sweet voice. “Listen to the smart lady, Doug. Everything is going to be alright. After all… I’m here now.”

 

 _And then you woke up._ But this is the nightmare.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!  
> I'm @the-empty-man on tumblr if you want to cry about Minkowski with me! Season 4 of Wolf 359 has me eternally screaming into the void...


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